We present a new phenomenological gravitational waveform model for the inspiral and coalescence of non-precessing spinning black hole binaries. Our approach is based on a frequency domain matching of post-Newtonian inspiral waveforms with numerical relativity based binary black hole coalescence waveforms. We quantify the various possible sources of systematic errors that arise in matching post-Newtonian and numerical relativity waveforms, and we use a matching criteria based on minimizing these errors; we find that the dominant source of errors are those in the post-Newtonian waveforms near the merger. An analytical formula for the dominant mode of the gravitational radiation of non-precessing black hole binaries is presented that captures the phenomenology of the hybrid waveforms. Its implementation in the current searches for gravitational waves should allow cross-checks of other inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform families and improve the reach of gravitational wave searches.
@article{arxiv.1005.3306,
title = {Matching post-Newtonian and numerical relativity waveforms: systematic errors and a new phenomenological model for non-precessing black hole binaries},
author = {L. Santamaria and F. Ohme and P. Ajith and B. Bruegmann and N. Dorband and M. Hannam and S. Husa and P. Moesta and D. Pollney and C. Reisswig and E. L. Robinson and J. Seiler and B. Krishnan},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1005.3306},
year = {2015}
}